Question

How did the world celebrate Christmas before the birth of Jesus?

History of Christmas

The following is an excerpt from the WORLD HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA

The winter solstice, falling in December in the Northern hemisphere and June in the

Southern hemisphere, is the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice, also referred to as 'midwinter' is associated with the idea of rebirth of both the sun and the new year, and after the shortest day, the days get a bit longer, and a bit brighter. The movement of the sun and the skies in general have been monitored by humanity for a long, long time, all around the world, especially since tracking the sun and the seasons was imperative for crop growth and agriculture.

We're not entirely sure for just how long humans have recognized the winter solstice as a turning point, but we know it was important for heralding in the new sun or sun god for the next year. The concept of rebirth inspired the festive practice of role-reversal best seen in the festivities of Saturnalia in Rome where the role of slave and master would reverse and, earlier, in Mesopotamian civilizations. The solstice observances, celebrated around the globe and through history, all centered around similar themes including light conquering darkness, renewal, new life, and rebirth, when, after the shortest day and longest night of the year, the darkness would give way to the light of longer days and shorter nights.

The modern era of Christmas vs. the original Christmas season. Imagine these points in your mind. Original

1. Celebration / festivals of the winter solstice. December 20 to 23

2. Started during the early centuries BC.

3. No gifts exchanged.

4. Celebrations of the darkness being replaced with light. 5. A new beginning. Planting season is just around the corner

Modern

1 . December 25th celebration of the birth of Jesus.

2. Started in Rome about 336 AD

3. Gifts exchanged as an example of God's gift to us.

4. Celebrations of darkness being replaced by light.

5. A new beginning. Sacrifices no longer will be necessary. A new season of planting is just around the corner. (The mission of the CHURCH).

Who created the earth?

GOD / JESUS / HOLY SPIRIT

Who created the seasons? Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall?

GOD / JESUS / HOLY SPIRIT

NOTE: Morning and evening were the first day.

Time was created. 24 hours to a day.

365 days to a year.

Each season had a time frame. Known as the SOLSTICE.

God knew from the beginning that the winter solstice would be the time that the days would begin to be lighter longer.

God also knew that the birth of Jesus could be directly related to the winter solstice.

This would allow mankind to see the correlation of darkness being replaced with light. NOTE: God is the God of order, not chaos. He has set the timing for EVERYTHING in his creation from before the beginning of TIME.

What an amazing God we have.

We can TRUST his timing. We can trust all he does.

1 John 1:1-5 NIV

[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. [2] The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. [4] We write this to make our joy complete. [5] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

The birth of the "LIGHT OF THE WORLD" was planned and orchestrated even before the creation of the world.

Genesis 1:3-5 NIV

[3] And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. [4] God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light "day," and the darkness he called ^t' night ." And there was evening, and there was morning —the first day.

Jesus is the light of the world.

The modern day celebration of the birth of Jesus is in direct relation with God's creation of the earth, time and the seasons. Man was celebrating the new birth and light for hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus.

A story with a modern twist.